Choosing the right Internet voice provider

By David Strom

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In Understanding Internet Voice Options we discussed some of the issues around making the move towards Internet voice service. There are three basic types of Internet voice service providers: the local cable company, a specialty Internet voice provider (in some cases, they are divisions of the usual suspects like AT&T and Verizon), or something that works with the Skype software division of eBay. Let's go through some of the decisions about what kind of service to get. Answer these four questions, and you can choose the most appropriate service.

We have prepare a short video tutorial on this topic and another one on demonstrating some of the more advanced features offered by Vonage here.

Decision #1: Are you a cable TV customer?

The first choice you will have to make is whether to go with the cable TV company for your phone needs. If you are a current customer, cable companies offer discounts for adding a Internet voice line. If you have only cable TV service (and not high-speed Internet access), you will need to replace your current cable box with something that supports the Internet voice, and a cable technician can also wire this into your phone wiring as well.

Most of the cable companies only offer a single Internet voice plan, so depending on what your calling patterns are you might do better elsewhere. For example, you don't make many long distance calls but make lots of international calls, or you want multiple local numbers. But, you have a single bill to pay for both cable and phone communications, so that is appealing for some people.

Some other reasons for not using your cable company for Internet voice include wanting a more reliable connection, needing more than one voice line, or desiring additional calling features that aren't part of the cable Internet voice plans. If that's the case, consider one of the Internet voice specialty providers, such as Vonage or AT&T CallVantage.

Decision #2: Do you make many international calls?

All of the providers offer tremendous discounts on international calls, that is, calls outside of North America. Those calls can cost just pennies per minute.

Some of the providers, such as Packet8, offer unlimited international calling if you subscribe to the higher monthly service plan. Others have higher per-month plans that include a certain allotment of minutes for international calls, or unlimited minutes but just to particular countries. Depending on where you're calling, one of those higher-priced plans might be the best option for you.

Specialty Internet Voice Providers 

 
It pays to examine the various plans carefully for what actually is included. A good place to compare various Internet voice providers, and read reviews from users, can be found here:

http://www.whichvoip.com/

http://www.geekbooks.com/VOIP-comparison.htm 

Decision #3: Do you want to make calls from your existing home phone(s)?

The cable Internet voice plans and the voice specialty providers such as Vonage all work with your existing home phones. You have to disconnect where the phone connection comes into your house, typically in your basement or a panel near where the phone wire comes from the street pole, and connect it up to a special phone adapter box given to you by the service provider - which is where you bought the Vonage service, say, Best Buy. Sometimes you have to purchase the adapter box, sometimes there is a rebate on it for signing up for an annual service plan. The adapter box also needs to be connected to your high-speed Internet modem, usually via an Ethernet cable. If the modem and your telephone adapter can't be located near each other, you will have to pay someone to do that wiring.

If keeping your existing telephones isn't important, or if you are planning on keeping your existing landline home phone and want to supplement it with a Internet voice as a second or third line, then you can consider one of two other possibilities that work with the Skype software network (Video).

Skype-related digital phone products are available in two broad categories. One is software that runs on your computer (both Macintosh and Windows computers are supported). The other is hardware.

For the software option, your computer needs a separate headset that has both an earpiece and microphone. While you can use these products and play the audio through your PC's speakers, the call quality will suffer. Headsets can be purchased for roughly $50 at many retailers.

The downside of that method is your computer must be on to receive calls. You can make use of Skype's forwarding service if you still use your existing landline, and Skype does include voice mail as part of its calling plan. Calls to other Skype users are free, and Skype sells service to all North American phones for $30 a year.

Other computer software vendors are jumping into the Internet phone arena, and some, such as Yahoo and Microsoft are adding voice features to their instant messaging products. Expect to see lots of products in this area.

If you don't want to use your computer and want something that resembles a phone to make Skype calls, you have a variety of hardware choices, with more vendors announcing products all the time. They work in several different ways: some are phones that work off your wireless home network, or any wireless network that you can pick up with the phone. Belkin, for example, makes such a phone, which costs approximately $175. You will need to purchase service from Skype for $30.

Others, such as Netgear's SPH200h phone, work like typical cordless phones (working off their own wireless network and base stations), and work with both landline and Skype calls. Here's a review:

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/view/29820/70/

If you go that route, be sure to balance the monthly savings with the initial purchase price of the hardware. They are all cheaper to operate but cost more up front, and they may take some work to configure.

Decision #4: Do you need more than one Internet voice line?

If you like Internet voice so much that you want more than one line, or if you have chatty teens that still like to talk on the phone and not use Instant Messaging, then you might want to consider one of the higher-priced plans from Verizon VoiceWing and AT&T CallVantage, which offer a second line as part of their monthly service packages. Cablevision also offers up to four lines for residential service, and up to eight for its business service. Residential customers with one line of Optimum Voice can add up to three additional lines for $14.95 per month per line.

Clearly, there are a multitude of choices for trimming your phone bill using Internet voice services.  Though the choices may be overwhelming at first, you can find one that is best suited for your temperament, budget, and lifestyle.